Hey folks, welcome back to "Through the Rough"! When we last left off, Izuku and Rebecca managed to attain their work studies under Sir Nighteye. And now, they're out on their first patrol under the agency.
But during their trek, they run into a scared Eri… Just what's to come from this meeting? Well, let's find out!
THROUGH THE ROUGH
"So… the Saintfires…" Kaoruko uttered as she and Nighteye trekked through the city streets, "Do you think they're going to try and make a move on Bluegarden?" she inquired of her superior.
"If they were to, we'd stop them," he affirmed in reply, "Nevertheless, it's of the utmost priority that they become our focus after we determine the Hassaikai's operations," he told his sidekick.
"Yes, sir," she responded with a nod. Meanwhile, Izuku and Rebecca traversed the streets along with Mirio. Their senior's costume was a white skin-tight top with the number '1000000' stamped across his chest in a bold, yellow font. The trimming on the top and shoulder pads were made in a matching fashion. On his waist, two green lines acted as a belt, along with some lines of similar appearance on his shoulders, which dipped in places to form two V's. He also wore baggy dark blue pants and white knee-high boots. He donned a red cape as well as thick gloves of matching color. His costume was then topped off with a white visor with yellow lenses.
"So you've two never been out on patrol before, huh?" he inquired of the couple, getting their attentions.
"Uh, not really…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user replied, "We sorta got caught up in other things before getting to worry about the basics…" she confessed, sheepishly scratching her right cheek.
"Well, I'm glad to show you the ropes," Mirio affirmed, "Just watch and learn, my friends!" he exclaimed, wildly moving his arms.
'What the heck is he even doing…?' Rebecca inwardly wondered. In the meantime, her boyfriend was still lamenting over what he learned yesterday. The idea of Mirio being All Might's intended successor was shocking enough… But why hadn't the former pro told him about it?
"Oh yeah," the Permeation Quirk user chimed in, getting his attention, "We should know each other's hero names, right?" he inquired of the couple.
"Oh, right," Izuku agreed in response, "I'm Deku!" he exclaimed.
"Deku…?" Mirio repeated, blinking twice out of confusion, "Uh… why would you…?" he started to ask.
"It's kinda personal," Rebecca chimed in before he could finish his question, "Anyways, I'm Miss Aoneko!" she declared, posing with a cat-like expression.
"Hahaha!" Mirio laughed, "No wonder you got Sir's approval right away!" he pointed out, "My hero name's Lemillion," he told the freshmen, "For the number of people I'll save," he declared as he pointed to himself, "I mean, I can't save 'em all…" he admitted, "but I can shoot for a million," he affirmed confidently.
"That sounds great," Rebecca said with a smile.
"Once we put on our costumes and hit the streets, we're pros," the Permeation Quirk user noted, "So don't go letting your guards down, Deku and Miss Aoneko," he advised of his colleagues.
"You got it, Lemillion," they simultaneously responded, sharing a giggle. It seemed a bit childish, but they were taking things as seriously as possible. While Nighteye would be responsible for tracking Kai, they would patrol and help keep people safe. And then, someone came running out of the alley they were walking past, bumping into Izuku before falling over onto her bottom.
"Ah, oh my gosh!" Rebecca exclaimed upon noticing, "Are you okay?!" she asked, immediately crouching down to the girl's eye level. She sat up with a grimace, seeing the two freshmen approach.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Izuku apologized, "I should've been more careful…" he admitted as he crouched down himself, "Here, let me help you up," he offered, extending his gloved right hand out. The little girl gasped, pulling herself back. Seeing that, the Cat Leaper Quirk user went ahead and removed her gloves.
"Don't worry, we're here to help," she assured, reaching out to her. Hesitant for a moment, the little girl took her hand, allowing her to pick her up onto her feet. "There we go," she said with a giggle. Izuku smiled as well, though he noticed something off. The girl was trembling, and she had bandages around her arms and legs.
'She doesn't seem like she's lost…' he noted to himself, 'It's more like… she was running from something…' he added inwardly.
"You should be more careful," a voice chimed in, getting their attentions. The girl appeared to freeze in fright. Izuku and Rebecca's eyes widened. Standing there was Kai. "We wouldn't wanna cause trouble for any hardworking heroes…" he pointed out, "would we, Eri?" he inquired of the little girl, who trembled.
And just like that… Izuku and Rebecca's work study had begun.
OPENING
Insert "Eden Through the Rough" by Takanori Nishikawa
Opens with Izuku and Rebecca getting ready for another day of class together, going through their morning routines before meeting up at the Heights Alliance doors, exchanging a kiss before heading to the classroom. There, we see all of Class A mingling about, including the likes of Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire. Mirio spots the arriving couple of Izuku and Rebecca, going over to them and putting his arms around them with a big smile on his face.
Later, we see them visiting Sir Nighteye's agency, were we see him, Bubble Girl, and Centipeder, along with Xiaomei lurking in the background as she gives off a small grin. There are shots of Eijiro and Weisz working alongside Tamaki and Fat Gum, and Ochaco, Tsuyu and Kleene with Nejire and Ryukyu. We get a shot of various heroes in the background, including the likes of Shota, Ivry, Gran Torino, Eraser, and Holy.
The scene changes to the League of Villains confronting the Shie Hassaikai, with Tomura and Overhaul standing face-to-face. Beyond them lies the little girl known as Eri alongside Pino, as she clenches her fists in frustration, wanting to escape her imprisoned life. She then notices cracks of light in the darkness around her, and she runs towards them.
We see various scenes of Tamaki having to battle a trio of villains wearing masks, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Nejire battling one of the larger fiends, while Ryukyu faces off against Ganoff and Mosco. Kleene is forced to confront her brother, while Ivry goes up against the Fake Sister, who shows her wide mouth with sharp teeth before she throws off her habit.
Eijiro and Weisz are blown back by a villain that fires rapid punches, which Fat Gum has to defend them from before trying to strike back, only to be blocked by another villain putting up an energy barrier. Mirio faces Overhaul and three other villains all by himself, removing his helmet before confronting them. He's joined by Nighteye, Shota, Eraser, Holy, Izuku, and Rebecca. But before they can stop the head villain, he completely reassembles the ground, shooting a barrage of spikes at his foes.
There's various shots of Shiki trying to better control his Overdrive form, Homura standing outside the dorms as she solemnly stares at her phone, Weisz looking at a picture of his mom while lying on his bed, and Rebecca sitting in the bath in contemplation. As she stands up, her blue markings shine brightly. The Ether markings of her fellow Ether-types also shine and expand as their bodies transform, showing silhouettes of their Overdrive forms outlined in their respective colors.
We see Poseidon Nero, Deadend Crow, God Acnoella, Saintfire Nox, and Elsie Crimson in their respective locations, preparing for the new era ahead now that All For One and Drakken Joe are gone. On the other side, the likes of Endeavor, Hawks, Mirko, and those of the I.U.A. are getting ready to take on the new era themselves.
We end with Eri and Pino breaking through the cracks, finding Izuku and Rebecca there. They look to them and smile, offering their hands. A bright flash of light envelops the screen.
END OPENING
Holy stared intently at the picture in her hand, standing in the offices of the police station with narrowed eyes. With everything that had happened in the past month, the I.U.A. was seemingly desperate to help fill the void left by All Might's retirement. And as such, she and her colleagues would focus on rounding up the most dangerous villains after All For One.
"This makes it fifteen years since then, huh?" a familiar voice assumed, belonging to Sorahiko as he walked up beside her, getting her attention.
"…Yes…" she answered after a moment, "To this day, I'm still baffled at how all that destruction could've happened…" she admitted, clutching the photograph in her hand, "It was my fault…" she added in frustration.
"No, it wasn't," the Jet Quirk user affirmed, "You know as well as I do that whole ordeal was all his fault," he pointed out seriously.
"So why was he there of all places?" the I.U.A. Hero wondered aloud as she trembled a little, "Why did he kill so many… including Sara…?" she inquired on. Sorahiko glanced down in thought.
"Gran Torino! Holy!" an officer called out, getting their attentions, "We've just gotten in contact with Eraser from the IUA!" he noted.
"Ichiro?" the Light Quirk user uttered in confusion.
"Put him on speaker," Sorahiko advised. The officer did as told, pressing a button on his device.
"I figured you'd ignore anyone else's calls since you're so hyper-focused on Crow, Holy," the Erase Quirk user pointed out over the line.
"It's more of me wanting to avoid James' idiotic obsession over Elsie…" his fellow I.U.A. Hero grumbled in response, rolling her eyes.
"What's the reason for the sudden call, Ichiro?" Gran Torino asked curiously.
"It's in regards to Saintfire Nox," Eraser answered to their surprise, "Seems as if her followers have been about lately, at least according to Sir Nighteye…" he told them.
"Sir Nighteye?" Holy repeated, "That's All Might's former sidekick…" she noted in remembrance. Sorahiko narrowed his eyes.
"What'd he find out?" he questioned on. Elsewhere in the streets of Japan, the whole world stopped around Izuku and Rebecca as they stared up at Kai. The last thing they expected was to actually run into their intended target.
"I hope you'll forgive my daughter, heroes," he apologized to the pair with Eri, "Sometimes I don't know what to do with her…" he admitted with a chuckle.
"O-Oh, that's okay!" Rebecca assured, standing back up quickly, "We should be a lot more vigilant to watch out for everyone," she pointed out, "Isn't that right, Deku?" she inquired of her boyfriend, who blinked in realization.
"R-Right!" he agreed, throwing on his mask, "Sorry about that…" he apologized.
'Thanks for that, Rebecca…' he inwardly said in gratitude, 'If he saw just how freaked out I was, he'd start getting suspicious…' he noted to himself.
"Hey, I know that mask!" Mirio chimed in as he approach, standing alongside the two freshmen, "You must be from the Hassaikai, right?" he assumed, "You guys are famous around here…" he pointed out.
'Why's he drumming up a conversation?' Rebecca wondered through her thoughts, 'Unless… he already pinged Nighteye and let him know!' she realized, letting off a grin, 'Now we just have to keep him talking long enough for him and backup to get here…' she concluded inwardly.
"Yeah, please don't mind the mask…" Kai requested, "It keeps out the filth…" he pointed out.
"Uh, I'll bet…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user remarked as a response somewhat nervously.
"I haven't seen the three of you in the area before," the masked man noted curiously.
"Oh, we're actually work study students!" Mirio pointed out.
"Really?" Kai said, "For what agency?" he inquired on.
"Uh, it's not really that important…" Rebecca affirmed in reply as she held her hands out, "Besides, we're not pro enough to really attach ourselves any old agency…" she noted sheepishly.
'This is a lot harder than it looks…' she admitted through her thoughts, 'Chisaki's asking all these questions, probably because he knows what heroes are around him and the rest of the Hassaikai…' she told herself. A hand then came onto her shoulder, getting her attention as she saw Mirio shoot her a small grin.
"Well… I really shouldn't pry too much…" Kai admitted, "Let's go, Eri," he insisted of the little girl, who was still clinging to Izuku. Rebecca looked back, seeing that she was still trembling with fear.
"Please… don't go…" she whimpered out. Hearing that made the couple hesitate. Drawing out the conversation would be both good and bad. Nighteye and any other pros would arrive on the scene, confronting Kai and likely bringing him into custody. But on the other hand, it could lead to the investigation being completely ruined, and many casualties if a fight were to break out.
Yet that wasn't on either Izuku or Rebecca's minds. It was the sight of the trembling Eri, who was clearly afraid of the masked man behind her. She clung to the One For All inheritor desperately.
"Um… I'm sorry…" he apologized, "But… your daughter isn't letting go of me…" he pointed out.
"That's probably because I just scolded her…" Kai noted with narrowed eyes of suspicion.
'Hey, ease up on the details…' Mirio insisted inwardly, 'If we start getting too suspicious, he'll be more cautious and we'll lose him completely…' he pointed out through his thoughts, giving the two freshmen a smile of reassurance. Rebecca wanted to keep up the act to remove suspicion. But the sight of Eri clinging to Izuku made her all the more conflicted.
"What's… with all those bandages?" she inquired.
"She tends to fall down and bump into things a lot," the Shie Hassaikai leader pointed out.
"But then… why isn't she wearing a pair of shoes?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user asked on.
"Look, you really shouldn't go prying into someone's parenting methods…" Kai advised, narrowing his eyes. Mirio knew that the conversation was steering in a direction that it didn't need to go down. But Izuku and Rebecca were both convinced. Eri was scared of the man before them. And they weren't about to let her go back.
"Just what are you doing to this girl?" the One For All inheritor asked. There was a brief moment of tension amidst the group. No one was certain as to what could happen next. And then, Kai sighed.
"Geez…" he muttered out, "Heroes are always so perceptible, even to the subtlest things…" he noted with a shrug, "Alright then…" he said, turning around, "I'll talk," he affirmed, heading back down the dark alley that he had come through. Izuku picked Eri up in his arms before turning to his colleagues, who nodded to him. They followed the Shie Hassaikai leader.
"So… what's going on between you and her?" Rebecca asked.
"She's disobedient, that's what," Kai replied rather quickly, "Hard to believe that I can't control my own child," he admitted, "But lately, Eri defies me no matter what I try…" he told the student heroes.
'Defies?' the Cat Leaper Quirk user repeated inwardly, 'Like she's one of his foot soldiers?' she assumed to herself, looking back at the little girl her boyfriend held.
"Parenting, man…" Mirio grumbled out, "Sounds rough," he noted. Though Rebecca knew the senior was just keeping up the act, she didn't appreciate how uncaring he seemed to be, especially upon seeing how terrified Eri was.
"Yes, children are tricky…" Kai agreed, reaching over to pull his left glove off of his hand, "So determined to do whatever they want…" he admitted. The moment the horned girl saw him start to pull the glove off, she immediately leapt out of Izuku's arms and ran back over to him, much to the group's surprise. "Oh, good," the Shie Hassaikai leader said, "You're finally done with your little tantrum…" he noted.
"Uh… Eri?" the One For All inheritor uttered in confusion.
"Are you sure you're okay…?" Rebecca inquired.
"Sorry to involve you in our family drama," Kai apologized, getting their attentions, "I'm sure you three have more important things to attend to," he pointed out, leading his supposed daughter away, "Good luck in your internships," he remarked in farewell.
"Hey, wai—!" Before either Izuku or Rebecca could go after him, Mirio held his hands out in front of them.
"We're not going after them," he said firmly, "You saw how he was ready to fight, right?" he inquired of his colleagues, who grimaced, "That's why she went back," he pointed out, "If we kept pushing him, he'll be even harder to catch," he added seriously.
"Yeah, but…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user uttered, evidently by all that she had just witnessed.
"For now, let's report to Sir," Mirio advised. Izuku removed his mask with a grimace of worry. Even if this was protocol, it was frustrating to just let some frightened little girl go back to a man she was obviously scared of. Rain started falling.
"Well, that certainly could've gone better…" Sister remarked as she saw Kai walking down the hall with another masked man, who was holding Eri.
"Did you figure out how the power got cut off?" he inquired of her.
"Hard to say," she responded with narrowed eyes, "It was only off for about five seconds, too…" she mentioned, "Anyone with a Quirk like that?" she assumed.
"Not here," the Shie Hassaikai leader responded with a shake of his head, "Huh…" he sighed out, "The young people today are sicker than ever…" he grumbled.
"Heroes, I assume?" Sister guessed.
"Boss, I'm really sorry!" one masked man apologized as he came over, "I swear… I barely took my eyes off her for a second!" he yelled in plea. Overhaul removed his glove, swiping his right hand at him. In an instant, most of his body was splattered against the wall in a pool of blood.
"Hm," Sister huffed out with a smirk.
"Chrono, prepare the bath," Kai requested of the hooded masked man, "And clean that up…" he added, sounding quite irritated.
"Yes, sir," his colleague responded. Eri was in tears, covering her ears. She didn't want to see nor hear anymore carnage.
"This is maddening…" the Shie Hassaikai leader grumbled out, "They're all infected with hero syndrome…" he muttered on.
"If you'd like to alter the terms of our agreement, I'm sure we can help you deal with anyone watching you," Sister told him.
"No, we'll stick to the current plan," he replied, "After all, it wouldn't be good to attract too much attention…" he pointed out. Peeking out from Eri's room was Pino, who trembled with frustration.
'They caught her…' she noted to herself, 'Now it will not matter if I were to use my EMP again…' she mentioned inwardly, 'because they will be keeping a much closer eye on her…' she added through her thoughts, tearing up.
X
"Sorry for the total oops…" Mirio apologized as he, Izuku and Rebecca had met up with Nighteye and Bubble Girl on a street corner, "What are the odds we run into a target in the middle of a street…?" he inquired rhetorically.
"No, I should accept responsibility for this," his mentor insisted, "I should've used my Foresight on you three. It's my fault," he affirmed.
"Mister Nighteye…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user uttered.
"We're just glad you guys are okay," Kaoruko chimed in, "You could've been in a lot of trouble…" she pointed out.
"It didn't feel that scary to me…" Izuku admitted.
"Yeah, me either…" Rebecca agreed as she nodded.
"Chisaki and his gang were recently involved in a traffic incident caused by some hoodlums," Mirai told them, pushing his glasses up, "Now that isn't remarkable… except there were zero casualties," he pointed out.
"Zero?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user repeated in surprise.
"The thieves had experienced intense pain and lost consciousness… but they were uninjured," Nighteye explained, "Even injuries like rheumatism and cavities were completely gone," he mentioned, "The authorities believe that Chisaki's Quirk may have been responsible," he said.
"What kind of Quirk can do all that?" Izuku wondered aloud.
"One that could've been used on us if we weren't careful," Mirio noted in response. As Mirai and Kaoruko explained why the agency was so focused on the Hassaikai as a result of that one incident, both first-year U.A. students thought back to the trembling Eri. Why did they let her go back to Kai? Why didn't they just run away with her, even with the notion of danger? "Oh, one more thing," the Permeation Quirk user chimed in, raising his left hand, "We got some new intel from our encounter," he noted, "Chisaki has a daughter," he told his employer.
"A daughter?" he repeated, sounding perplexed.
"A little girl who he called Eri…" Izuku confirmed in reply, "Her limbs were all wrapped in bandages…" he added.
"We don't know anything else, but…" Rebecca continued, "she seemed to be terrified of Chisaki…" she recalled.
"There must be something we can do to protect her," her boyfriend affirmed. Nighteye turned to them with a sharp glare.
"I won't let your arrogance interfere with this case!" he declared, much to the pair's surprise.
"A-Arrogance?" the Cat Leaper Quirk user stuttered out, "What are you talking about?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Haste won't help the situation," he said, "Take your time in pursuing a target," he advised on.
"But… Sir…" Izuku uttered.
"If you make a move too soon, they'll likely escape," the Foresight Quirk user added seriously, "There's no reason to rush," he stated, "You're not so special that you can save whoever you want whenever you want," he mentioned almost dismissively, making the One For All inheritor lower his head with shame, "We've asked other agencies to lend us our help in this case," he pointed out to the group, "We must first predict our opponent's moves and then make preparations to face him," he said.
As he kept talking, Rebecca could feel her blood boil. The way Nighteye was so callously taking time in this operation, in spite of the new information he just learned, it frustrated her. And she knew it frustrated her boyfriend, too.
"You three should head back to the office," Nighteye advised, "Bubble Girl and I'll continue to survey the area," he confirmed, heading off with his sidekick. As the rain continued to fall, the couple lowered their heads in contemplation. Just like that, the first day of their work study had ended.
X
Katsuki and Shoto were evidently going through the wringer, based on the many bandages they had from their provisional license training. Tsuyu, Ochaco, Eijiro, Weisz, Fumikage and Shiki were excused from absence thanks to their work studies. There was a lot of news to go around the classroom.
But surprisingly, both Izuku and Rebecca were silent. The former wasn't much of a chatterbox anyway, though with things that were hero-related, he'd be talking up a storm. And the latter being quiet was even more surprising. She would normally be gushing over the opportunity to be a part of a work study with not only her boyfriend, but being under the former sidekick of All Might.
"You doing okay, Rebecca?" Kyoka asked as she approached her, "You seem kinda down today…" she pointed out.
"Uh… oh…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user uttered, "It's just… first day of the work study was a bit rougher than I thought it'd be…" she admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. It wasn't a complete lie. She did feel like she had a hard time adjusting to how strict Nighteye was.
"Probably 'cause you and Midoriya were getting all smoochy-smoochy when you weren't supposed to…" Mina inferred, making a kissy face. Rebecca's face broke out into a huge blush.
"M-Mina!" she stuttered out angrily, hearing her laugh. Izuku looked over and cracked a small smile. The class was still as lively as ever. But also, the weight of the situation was wearing him down. Between why Nighteye rejected him as All Might's successor, and how he and Rebecca had to let Eri go back to Overhaul, he was distraught with guilt.
His pent-up frustrations were getting worse, leading to him being unable to concentrate during class. As for his girlfriend, she had the opposite problem. During a rescue training session at the U.S.J., she wound up so focused on being faster than Tenya as they sped across the Shipwreck Zone, she ended up crashing onto the shore as she tripped, breaking her nose.
Luckily, she was healed by Recovery Girl soon after, but then she grabbed her gym clothes and headed off to Gym Gamma, tying her hair into a ponytail. She needed to get her mind off of the work study, at least for today. Or if anything, vent it to someone. By the time she arrived, she saw that Homura was there, with an energy blade in hand. She turned to see her classmate.
"Oh, Rebecca," she greeted, giving off a smile, "Is your nose feeling better?" she inquired.
"Yeah… just sore now…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user replied, "Is there a boxing bag I can use?" she questioned curiously to her classmate's surprise.
"Um, yes…" she responded, pointing toward a nearby closet. Moments later, Rebecca set the sandbag onto the hook, letting it swing about. She started punching away at it, not worrying about how red her knuckles were starting to get. However, Homura was starting to grow concerned. She let her energy blade disappear as she walked over.
"HAH!" the Cat Leaper Quirk user yelled as she landed another punch to the bag. The Soul Blade Quirk user caught it from behind to her surprise.
"Perhaps you should get some bandages," she advised. Rebecca blinked, looking at how red her knuckles already were.
"R-Right…" she stammered in agreement. Moments later, her hands up to her wrists were bandaged before she started punching away at the boxing bag. Homura held it from behind.
"So, I've noticed that you aren't as talkative as you normally are…" she pointed out, grunting from a strong blow her classmate dealt to the sandbag, "Did something happen at your work study?" she presumed.
"You could say that…" Rebecca grumbled out, landing a kick on the bag, "What about you?" she asked, striking with another kick, "I figured you would've jumped at the chance to take on a work study…" she noted. The Soul Blade Quirk user lowered her head.
"Mirko isn't eligible to take in students for work studies," she recalled, "And of those I had left to choose from, none really caught my interest…" she admitted on, "Obviously, with the IUA out of the question, many of us are left squandering it seems like…" she mentioned in frustration.
"Well, don't beat yourself up too much," the Cat Leaper Quirk user insisted, "After all…" she continued, punching and kicking away at the boxing bag with a little more power, "you might've ended up with someone who you think is a total jerk…" she continued as she gnashed her teeth.
"Rebecca…" Homura uttered out in surprise.
"AND SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T CARE WHEN A LITTLE GIRL'S SCARED!" her classmate bellowed, landing a kick strong enough to snap the bag's chain off, causing it fall onto the floor, "Huh… huh…" she breathed out angrily as tears pricked her eyes, "I'm sorry…" she whimpered out apologetically, sniffling, "I'm just venting all this anger in my body at you…" she noted to the Soul Blade Quirk user, who was quite astonished, seeing her classmate wipe her eyes.
"Rebecca…" she uttered, "whatever is troubling you about your work study, I'm sure you can tell Witch about it," she pointed out reassuringly.
"Yeah, I know…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user replied, "But… I don't wanna have to always rely on her when I'm having trouble…" she admitted on, sniffling again, "Sometimes… I need to deal with things on my own…" she noted. Homura then approached and hugged her warmly.
"But you're not alone, Rebecca," she affirmed, "As my master would have said, it's difficult to come to terms with other heroes," she pointed out, "But once you do, you forge a strong relationship that spans to others," she mentioned on, "Perhaps your mentor made a mistake, or you're not able to see something that he saw," she suggested to the surprise of her classmate, "Either way, I'm sure you'll find a way to figure things out," she affirmed confidently. Rebecca let off a little smile, pulling herself back.
"Thanks, Homura," she said gratefully, "I really needed that from someone…" she admitted, wiping her teary eyes, "Still… I'm surprised you're not taking part in the work studies…" she noted curiously, "I would've thought you'd at least try to find someone else aside from Mirko…" she added.
"Perhaps next time… I'll find someone," the Soul Blade Quirk user responded as she gave off a little grin. Her friend giggled. Returning to the dorms later that night, she went ahead and took a nice long bath before returning to her room, dressing up for the evening. As she went back into the common room though, she was surprised to find her boyfriend there, having a somewhat distraught but hopeful smile upon his face.
"Izu…?" she uttered, getting his attention. A few minutes later, the two of them were up in her room, seated upon her bed. "So… that's why Nighteye has a grudge against you…" she concluded after hearing what had happened.
With all of his pent-up frustrations hindering him, Izuku had no choice but to go speak with All Might about what he was learning. So much was being thrust onto him all at once, he was compelled to learn the truth from his mentor. And the truth… was hard to bear.
Nighteye had looked into All Might's future. From the moment he received his great injury by All For One's hands six years ago, his sidekick was worried that if he pushed himself to continue hero work, he would face a villain and die an unspeakably gruesome death. He wanted to change the future, even if he was the one who foresaw it. After their argument, they parted ways.
Nezu, who had been present at the time, later recommended Mirio to be the one to inherit One For All. But before All Might could meet him, he met Izuku. The idea of hearing that his idol would soon die crushed the freckled teen's spirit. He wasn't ready to lose him.
And even though the former pro had accepted his fate back then, he wasn't going to be deterred. After everything that had happened, with him surviving his last encounter with All For One, he now had even more reason to live. He wanted to be there for his student, fighting back against fate. It seemed futile. But his successor promised that he would fight fate as well.
"Fighting fate…" Rebecca uttered out, letting off a smile of her own, "Then I'm gonna go and fight against fate, too," she declared, much to her boyfriend's surprise as he saw her stand up, "After all, what kind of hero would I be if I didn't try to change my future for the better, even if someone saw it?" she inquired rhetorically with a big grin. Izuku smiled.
"I asked All Might if he would try to make up with Nighteye…" he noted, "but he still feels the time isn't right…" he pointed out.
"Makes sense," Rebecca agreed with a nod, "You have to think about how Nighteye feels about the whole thing…" she said, folding her arms over her chest, "Still, I bet we could figure out a way to get them together, at least to talk…" she affirmed confidently.
"Yeah, I hope so…" Izuku replied. Just then, a stack of papers on the corner of his girlfriend's desk fell off, scattering about on the floor.
"Oh, shoot!" she yelped upon noticing, going over to gather them up.
"Is that all homework from Present Mic and Ectoplasm?" her boyfriend assumed.
"And Midnight, if you can believe it…" she muttered additionally, earning a chuckle out of the One For All inheritor.
"Here, let me help with that," he offered, about to stand up. However, Rebecca slipped on one of the sheets, falling back toward him. Her head crashed into his groin as he let out a pained squawk, falling onto the bed.
"Ugh…" the Cat Leaper Quirk user groaned, "Sorry about that…" she apologized as she lifted her head up with a sheepish grin, "Are you o—?" Before she could finish her question, she noticed that her hands were actually right upon Izuku's crotch. He sat up and noticed as well, gawking as his entire face exploded a bright red. Rebecca's eyes widened with realization, and her own blush appeared the moment she felt a bulge under her hands. The door then opened.
"Hey Becca, is everything okay in he—?" Mina's question was halted once she saw the position both the Cat Leaper Quirk user and her boyfriend were in. She blinked twice. "Okay, carry on," she said, closing the door without another word.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" Rebecca screamed desperately with a tomato red face, while Izuku covered his face with his hands. That awkwardness was only going to be the start of a tumultuous relationship going forward…
ENDING
Insert "The World's Continuation" by Ado
Opens with Rebecca as a little girl waking up in the morning at the orphanage she grew up in. She plays with the other orphans as Witch watches on, smiling all the while. Growing up, Rebecca is a big help around the orphanage, learning to cook with Witch, organize, and even clean.
At one point, a cat is adopted by the orphanage, being none other than Happy. Rebecca is the one to take care of it the most, feeding him every so often and sleeping with him. She goes out on a walk with him and Witch one day, heading to a local park. There, she sees Izuku lying on the ground after having to deal with Katsuki and the other bullies.
From then on, he and Rebecca become friends, growing up together. They even go out to get hero trading cards one day, coming across the rare All Might card in their respective packs. Throughout their school days from kindergarten to elementary to junior high, Izuku and Rebecca stay great friends.
One night during a school dance, Izuku sits dejectedly as everyone else is dancing together in pairs. Rebecca approaches him, wearing a lovely green dress. She offers her hand to Izuku, who graciously accepts it as his face scrunches up. They dance together, all while Katsuki watches on from the corner with a look of annoyance on his face.
The years go by, up to the end of middle school. The day arrives that Izuku and Rebecca get to U.A. High, entering alongside each other. We see flashes of everything they've gone through: the Quirk tests, the battle training, the USJ incident, the Sports Festival, the internships, the final exams, the forest camp attack, the incident in Camino Ward, the provisional licensing exam, and Izuku and Katsuki's fight afterwards.
From there, we see the couple dressed in their hero costumes, looking out to the horizon as they're joined by their classmates, prepared to face whatever lies ahead. Izuku looks to Rebecca and smiles, taking her hand into his own and holding onto it firmly. Neither of them are ever going to lose hope in each other.
END ENDING
And that's another chapter of Season 4 down! I gotta say, I'm very happy with my progress thus far with "Through the Rough", especially considering I'm trying to keep up with stories like "Power" and "The Challenge of a Lifetime". At the end of the day though, I will be slowing down production considering that I'm several weeks ahead in terms of chapter releases as of the time I'm writing this.
Anyways, we'll be looking into the other work studies next week, along with where things are leading for our heroes.